1853 . 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
45 
truth. If farmers make no money by their call- 
mg, and agricultural editors are aware of the fact, 
it ought to be their duty, and would certainly be 
to their advantage, to set the matter fully before 
the farming population, and do all that, lay in their 
power to advance the interests of those to whom 
they have devoted their time and talents. 
As to the observation that farmers would be bet- 
ter off to sell their farms and invest the proceeds 
in bonds and mortgages, we are somewhat surpris¬ 
ed, made as it is, without any reservation that 
their time is to be otherwise employed. Certain¬ 
ly it cannot be that the intelligent man of Massa¬ 
chusetts meant that farming was worse than doing 
nothing. Does he mean to say, for example, that 
$3,000 invested in bond and mortgage, will give a 
man and his family a better living than $3,000 in¬ 
vested in a farm upon which is expended his labor 
and that of his family. Our experience in farm¬ 
ing does not teach us that it is a very moneymak¬ 
ing business generally, but surely could we think 
that it was worse than doing nothing, we would no 
longer bend our weary backs to labor, but sell out 
at once and enjoy our ease—for although we think 
all men ought to labor, either with head or hands, 
yet we think that the laborer is at least worthy of 
his hire. In arguing out all matters of a like cha¬ 
racter with the one now before us, care should be 
taken never to be carried away by a partial view 
of things, but to endeavor as much as possible to 
keep every point in view. What may at first sight 
appear perfectly evident, may upon farther inves¬ 
tigation be found to be incorrect. 
In all farming operations so much depends upon 
skill, industry, management and markets, that the 
fact that one man makes money, and another does 
not, is at best uncertain data. There are many 
other things, too, involved in this point of living 
and making money. What to one man is a com¬ 
fortable living, to another is simply existing. One 
man would lay up money fast, while another would, 
with the same income, spend it all. Perhaps no 
calling in the world demands earlier education and 
training to it, in order that it may be successfully 
pursued, or its labor easily performed, than farming. 
Any man may satisfy himself of this by seeing the 
ease with which a person early trained to agricul¬ 
tural labor performs it, while to him who has en¬ 
tered into the calling late In life, no amount of at¬ 
tention enables him to work with the same -ease 
and slight. 
Farmers at the present day may he divided into 
three classes. The first, or-primary class, are those 
who have been trained to their calling from child¬ 
hood. They imbibe habits of Industry, economy, 
and practical skill, with the first dawning of the 
mind. Labor to them comes, comparatively speak¬ 
ing, easy; with strong arms and resolute hearts 
they encounter the physical obstacles which lie in 
their paths and overcome them. They subdue the 
forests, build houses, enclose lands, plant, sow and 
reap. These men know hut little of fashion and 
the arts—-they seek not for wealth and luxury— 
their wants are few and easily satisfied; a com¬ 
fortable home, a small competency; these are what 
they seek for—these are what they usually gain. . 
This class of farmers usually start the world with 
little or nothing. The little money they may 
chance to possess and get together, is invested as 
a partial payment on a farm; they then go to 
work upon it, live, (not as a general thing upon 
roast turkey and oysters.) pay their interest, and 
finally succeed, after a term of years, in clearing 
their farm of debt. Now, that these men do not 
make money very fast, is not remarkable. Think 
of the difficulties with which they have to contend; 
frequently two or three months labor out of the 
twelve, is given to the item of interest ,—labor 
against capitol. The great error they generally 
make is in buying too largely. Did they but con¬ 
centrate their money and their energy upon small¬ 
er farms, their success would, in nine cases out of 
ten, be much surer, and their toil much easier. 
When the principle of a more perfect system of 
tillage, and the concentration of labor over a 
smaller space, becomes better understood, we feel 
sure that it will work a revolution with this class 
of agriculturists. Of the extent of the indebted- 
ness of working farmers generally for the farms 
they own, few men out of the business are aware. 
We will not hazard a conjecture here as to the 
amount, but have reason to know that it is very 
large. When, however, it happens, as it some¬ 
times does, that men belonging to the class named, 
start in the world with a clear field before them, 
owning their farms free from all Incumbrance, 
we have rarely known them to fail of making a 
good per centage on their agricultural operations. 
To the second class of farmers, belong a set of 
men who were not brought up to the business; 
they were educated and trained to other pursuits, 
but having a taste for country life, and having per¬ 
haps become tired of the vicissitudes of trade and 
commerce, they have bought farms and retired to 
the country. In nine cases out of ten they know 
nothing of their new business ; they bring to the 
country tastes and habits belonging to city life. 
Their wives and children are fond of cultivating 
fruits and flowers, but they have little.knowledge 
of, or little taste for the hard work of a farm. 
In fact, the idea that all the parties concerned 
have, is, that they are simply to enjoy themselves 
with the pleasures of rural life, while the labor of 
the farm is to he done by hands hired for the pur- 
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